Feeding Glove -- home page pic

SPENCER WEINER / LAT

Los Angeles Zoo, Condor keeper, Mike Clark, prepares to feed a newly hatched Condor chick. The feeding glove helps the new chicks associate food with adult condors, the birds are not exposed to humans whenever possible. The largest bird in North America, condors are scavengers that have soared over mountainous areas of California since prehistoric times, but their numbers plummeted in the 20th Century. Condors were listed as an endangered species in 1967. In 1982, the condor population reached its lowest level of 22 birds, prompting Service biologists to start collecting chicks and eggs for a captive breeding program. In 1992, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began releasing California condors back into the wild.

Los Angeles Zoo, Condor keeper, Mike Clark, prepares to feed a newly hatched Condor chick. The feeding glove helps the new chicks associate food with adult condors, the birds are not exposed to humans whenever possible. The largest bird in North America, condors are scavengers that have soared over mountainous areas of California since prehistoric times, but their numbers plummeted in the 20th Century. Condors were listed as an endangered species in 1967. In 1982, the condor population reached its lowest level of 22 birds, prompting Service biologists to start collecting chicks and eggs for a captive breeding program. In 1992, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began releasing California condors back into the wild. (SPENCER WEINER / LAT)

Los Angeles Zoo, Condor keeper, Mike Clark, prepares to feed a newly hatched Condor chick. The feeding glove helps the new chicks associate food with adult condors, the birds are not exposed to humans whenever possible. The largest bird in North America, condors are scavengers that have soared over mountainous areas of California since prehistoric times, but their numbers plummeted in the 20th Century. Condors were listed as an endangered species in 1967. In 1982, the condor population reached its lowest level of 22 birds, prompting Service biologists to start collecting chicks and eggs for a captive breeding program. In 1992, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began releasing California condors back into the wild.